Per Plan

The piece of advice I give to expecting mothers is "Have a birth plan and know nothing goes according to plan". My birth plan for delivering Kyra was simple, have Trevor in the delivery room. No birth plan existed for Zoey; maybe because how things went with Kyra, maybe because we knew what to expect, or maybe because we didn't have the time to create one. When we got to the hospital the nurse asked us what our plan was. We just looked at each other with question. She wrote down, "Healthy, Fast and Painless". She got it right.

After 6 hours of labor and 2.5 pushes, Zoey Emeline Axner was delivered at 6:41am on May 13, 2012, Mother's Day. She's been a joy ever since!

Turning two

Experiencing Kyra turn two was more a feeling of amazement than bittersweet, as was one. The child has turned into such a toddler! She struggles through wanting to be independent and needing the comfort only a parent can provide. Her personality has developed and she's found her own sense of humor. She can be shy but also loves to be praised in the spotlight. Daycare has provided her the knowledge to count to ten in Spanish and English as well as how to pick a fight. While she's not ready for toilet training, she has learned how to use the potty and now sleeps in a twin bed. She mimics most of what you say, so choose your words carefully!

We can't wait to see what a loving big sister she will become....any day now.

Cheek, cheek, nose

I was holding Kyra in my arms about to put her down for bed when she took her little hand and pushed my face to the side. I was about to yell at her for slapping me when instead she gave me a kiss on the cheek. She proceeded to mimic the action on my other side. Then she grabbed both sides of my face, said "nose" and kissed my nose. Where does she come up with this stuff? I love it!

3-for-1 Florida Special

With a touch of luck and a lot of coordination we were able to fit three visits to Florida within one trip. All we could think of while planning the vacation was how perfectly everything was fitting into place. After describing the itinerary to a friend, we realized that we may have gotten in a bit over our head's with the multiple cities, new faces and terrifying sand. Kyra was a trooper and the whole vacation ended with more smiles than tears.

Sarasota
It didn't take much time to assimilate to the warm weather and lack of agenda. Only with shoes on, Kyra ran free on the beach and chased after birds. She threw a fit leaving the heated pool, a sign of good times to come.

We met up with Wash U friends, some of whom we hadn't seen in seven years. It was great to catch up and reminisce about the college years. The 50 ft pool was heated to 85 degrees, just warm enough to keep Kyra from turning blue against the 65 degree weather. She continued to throw fits leaving the warm pool water and needed her shoes for the beach. Evenings were spent cuddling around the bonfire and roasting marshmallows. On the morning we left, Kyra learned how to fly and lose a kite. Luckily a fisherman about 500 yards out caught the kite to give to his granddaughter (or so we hope).

Orlando
We drove inland to spend some time with Mickey Mouse and Trevor's family. Rebecca was so excited for Kyra to experience the Magic Kingdom, she was sure there would be some let down. Kyra did not disappoint! She loved all the rides and characters Disney had to offer. The rest of the time in Orlando was spent eating delicious food and visiting. Oliver wanted to spend his first birthday feeding geese. The kids had a blast at the park even though one "bad duck" bit Kyra.


Fort Myers
The beach was calling so we drove southwest to the Goldberg's home away from home. The Ellweins were there to greet us. For four days we played at beaches, parks, and pools. Watching the big kids, Kyra learned how to jump out after hiding and enjoy the sand sans footwear! Another thoroughly joyful stop on our Florida adventure.

After many days of good food, Kyra sleeping in closets and having full days of fun, we needed to return. Thanks to all for a wonderful break from the cold weather. We very much enjoyed spending the time with everyone!